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[Allah praises] those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not
fear anyone except Allah. And sucient is Allah as a Reckoner.
Al-Ahzaab (e Confederates)
33:39
1
QARI ‘ABDUL-BASIT ‘ABDUS-SAMAD (1927–1988)
THE VOICE OF MAKKAH
SON OF THE SOIL
Egypt the home of outstanding Quran recitation and the preservation of the Quranic sciences of Tajweed
(elocution), Tarteel (recital) and Tahfeez (memorization).
From this constellation of brilliant voices and exceptionally rare talent, God has blessed Egypt with a
rich heritage and a treasure trove of unique (Quran) reciters with legendary voices such as that of Sheikh
Muhammed Rif ’at or the golden melodies of Sheikh Mustapha Isma’il and the timeless wonder that is Sheikh
Mahmûd Khalil Al-Husarî. Egypt was also the home and birthplace of the renowned Sheikh and Qari
Muhammad Siddîq Al-Minshâwî.
Each reciter had his very own unique talent and commanded the admiration and respect of millions of be-
lieving souls, they are dear to even the coldest of hearts and respected by the most eloquent and enlightened
minds, indeed they are loved and imitated, by the very young to the very experienced, in equal measures.
But even within a galaxy of heavenly lamps, there is always the piercing light, of one unique star, in fact, to
most Egyptians and arguably for most in the Muslims world, at large, that star had an undeniably, beautiful
and unique voice one that would become so iconic and so universally accepted that it came to be known as
the voice of Makkah, a voice that is familiar to listeners from Libya all the way to London, it is imitated from
New York to New Delhi and it is revered and held in high regard from the enlightened city of Al-Madinah to
the blessed sanctuary of Al Quds, in Palestine.
More than any other reciter of his generation and certainly above all others since his era, Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Basit
Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad has come to be regarded, not only as the most famous Qari in the world but as
one of the most inspirational and unique champions of the sacred discipline.
Humble origins Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad was born in 1927, he came from a scholarly
family who resided in the small village of Armant which is situated, near the eternal spring that is commonly
known as the river Nile. His father was of Kurdish decent and his mother was an Egyptian Arab. Even during
his tender childhood years the great Qari, had an intense love and an attachment to the Holy Quran.
As he later recalls he would travel over three kilometers daily in order to get to a neighboring village where
he could sit in a local coee house and concentrate, deeply as he listened to the radio he would listen when
they began the day’s broadcast of Quran recitations that was being read by some of the greatest and most
celebrated Quran reciters of the day.
He would be enthusiastic and inspired as he absorbed the melodiously rich and rhythmic recitation of Sheikh
Muhammad Rif ’ât, with the hope and ambition of one day following in his hero’s footsteps.
2
But the elder brothers of the young ‘Abd Al-Basit had by now, already expressed their fervent, desire to
pursue studies in the scholarly tradition of their forefathers at the prestigious University of Al-Azhar in
Egypt, but unlike his elder brothers the young ‘Abd Al-Basit would express his desire to memorize the Quran
by heart and to one day achieve his dream of becoming a Qari, a devoted disciple and dedicated reciter of the
Holy Quran.
UNDER THE WINGS OF A MENTOR
e young ‘Abd Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad had his father’ approval and full support. In actual fact
it was under his father’s caring and loving presence that the 10 year old prodigy came to memorize the entire
Quran by heart, word for word, from cover to cover. e following year, his father took him to the village of
Asfoon, where he enrolled him into a Quranic School where the young ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd As-Samad excelled
and eventually received his certication upon having mastered the seven modes recitations and a short while
later, the 10 authoritative recitations of the Glorious Quran under the expert tutelage of his mentor Sheikh
Muhammad Salim.
It was not long aer this that his teacher, would permithis
young protégé to accompany him whenever he attended,
religious ceremonies, and gatherings in which, the Holy
Quran, would be rehearsed publicly. Yet despite his tender
age and lack of experience at the early age of 14 Sheikh
Abdul Basit AbdusSamad was encouraged, by his mentor
to participate in these public rehearsals. It was in these
early days that the unusual talent and unique gi of Qari
Abdul Basit began to be noticed.
HEART AND SOUL OF EGYPT
However it was not until 1950, during religious celebrations in Cairo that events suddenly took a fateful turn
for the young and upcoming Qari. During these very special functions and gatherings, the audience would
listen to the greatest and most seasoned performers of the day, many of whom travelled into Cairo from the
famous village of Tanta, a place that is renowned to this day, for its exceptional Quran reciters and scholars.
At only 23 years of age and somewhat unknown in larger cities, such as Cairo, the young hopeful was
intimidated and reluctant to attend the ceremony, however with the encouragement of his senior
companions and with the approval of his mentor he eventually accompanied them to Cairo. It was to be
a day that would mark history in Egypt, a bright new day in which the voice of Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd
As-Samad, like the splendid rays of light emitted by of the rising sun, would penetrate the very heart
and soul of Egypt. Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd As-Samad was mostly anxious and relatively discreet in the
overwhelming presence of senior practitioners and authoritative personalities that were present at the
gathering.
e Imam of Lady Zainab’s Mosque, Sheikh Ali Subay, had noticed the presence of this young man
sitting amongst some of the greatest reciters and most famous memorizers of Glorious Quran, yet somehow
unsuspectedly, the young Qari would be summoned to recite for a duration of only ten minutes as a short
opening rehearsal while the audiences warmed up for the main performers to commence. Gracefully, the
young Qari began with the name of Allah and proceeded to recite some verses from the Holy Quran. is
was to be a dening moment, a Golden moment, that would propel him into the center, of a universe that
had previously been exclusively for the senior Quran reciters and devotees of the day, but now – at only 23
years of age, Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad had captivated the heart of Cairo and totally
mesmerized his audience.
His 10 minute rehearsal eventually lasted for an entire hour and a half owing to the insatiable and
overwhelming requests from the audience.
3
THE BLOSSOMING FLOWER
Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd As-Samad as an extraordinarily gied talent who despite his young age attracted a
great deal of attention and yielded a signicant degree of respect. Allah had endowed him with a beautiful
voice and the ability to convey a deep and meaning understanding of the scripture through his melodious
and heartfelt recitations.
A year following his participation in the religious ceremony at the Grand Mosque of Lady Zainab in
Cairo, the young ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd As-Samad would enroll himself into a very challenging, exceptionally
selective radio audition which was broadcast on one of the main radio stations, in Country. Sitting on the
board of senior assessors was the notable scholar and critic Sheikh Ad-Dabah who had initially encouraged
the young talent to enroll for the audition. Other adjudicators included the knowledgeable scholar Sheikh
Muhammad Shaltût as well as the respected and renowned Quran reciter Sheikh Mahmûd Ali Al Bannâ.
By the grace of Allah the young Qari had surpassed all expectations he did not fail to impress his assessors by
successfully passing the examination at the rst attempt. From that moment onward his voice was broadcast
across the airwaves at eight in the evening, every Saturday.
Soon the inhabitants of his village in Armant would begin to gather around a small radio in order to listen to
their beloved son, as he embellished the airwaves with his ornamental and exquisitely beautiful recitation of
the Glorious Quran.
A RISING STAR
In 1952 ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd As-Samad became the ocial reciter of the grand Masjid of Imam Ash-Shafee’i,
and in 1985 he also became the ocial reciter at the Grand Masjid of Imam Hussein, thereby succeeding the
late and great Sheikh Mahmûd Ali Al Bannâ.
During his lifetime he was granted the honoric title of - As-Sawtu Makkah – (e Voice of Makkah)
having enjoyed the rare privilege and honour of reciting the Glorious Quran from Islam’s holiest Mosque and
sanctuary - Al Masjid Al Haram - located in modern day Saudi Arabia.
He also had the distinction of reciting before thousands of believers from all over the world in Islam’s second
holiest Mosque - Masjid Al Nabawy - in the enlightened city of Al Madinah.
Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad also founded the - National Union for Reciters - and was
subsequently elected by unanimous consensus to champion the initiative by becoming the rst president and
chairman of the newly formed organization.
In addition to being counted amongst the top ve Quran reciters of the latter generations, Qari ‘Abd
Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad went on to become the very rst reciter to win three consecutive titles
at the world Quran recitation championships during the 1970s.
4
BENEATH THE GOLDEN SMILE
Yet despite his overwhelming fame and his astounding
achievements the Sheikh maintained a very pleasant
and kind disposition. Some of his closest friends and
companions would oen recount the instances when
the Sheikh, would return home aer his international
travels oen times to be greeted by long lines of people
who would come to him asking for help, yet he would
always assist them and listen to their concerns and
although he granted them large sums of money from
his own personal earnings, the Sheikh would still
refrain from requesting any nancial compensation
for his recitation of the Quran.
We have some rare insight and intimate pointers into the character and personal life of the late Sheikh ‘Abd
Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad, in an article published in 1966 by an English lecturer at the University
of Al Azhar – Egypt.
In this publication the late Sheikh is described in the following words:
“(He was a) very simple so-hearted man. He never forgot his friends, however rich or poor they may be. When
sitting in his chaueur-driven limousine, he loved to sit next to his driver whom he called Akh Masood (Brother
Masood)”
[Razack 1966:6]
As a result of his heartfelt recitation and his deeply rooted love of the scripture, it is reported that many
people had embraced the Faith aer having listened to and internalized the recitation of Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Basit
‘Abd As-Samad.
In fact, during an interview broadcast on national television. e Sheikh recounts an incident that took place
while he was accompanying the Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nassir who at the time had an audience
with some Russian dignitaries and senior ranking ocers. e Sheikh recalls that aer he had completed his
rehearsal of the Holy Quran, he witnessed a signicant number of Russian ocers who were moved to tears
despite not having understood the Quranic Arabic that was being recited before them.
TOWARDS THE GARDEN
However, towards the latter part of the twentieth century, the great Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Basit ‘Abd As-Samad
would spend his nal few days on this earth. He passed away on Wednesday November the 30th in 1988 and
his passing away was mourned by dignitaries, patrons of the arts, ordinary men, women and children from
all walks of life, across the Muslim world and beyond.
Yet even aer his death, his beautiful voice continues to touch the hearts and penetrates the souls of his
audiences. His awesome recitations continue to live in the collective Muslim hearts and minds, his life story
is an outstanding inspiration for subsequent generations of Quran students, listeners and reciters from across
the world.
By the Divine Grace of Allah. Qari ‘Abd Al-Basit Muhammad ‘Abd As-Samad spent a vast proportion of his
adult life teaching the words of the Glorious Quran and transmitting it’s beautiful and rhythmic verses to
audiences around the world and at home. He championed the ne science and discipline of Quranic
recitation, through the - National Union of Reciters - and through his timeless studio recordings.
May God grant him the light of the Quran on the day of Judgment and may he be raised to the highest ranks in
Paradise..
5
A L - H A J J M A L I K A L - S H A B B A Z , M A L C O L M X ( 1 9 2 5 – 1 9 6 5 )
FROM MECCA WITH LOVE
BEFORE DAWN
Malcolm Little was born in Omaha in 1925. He was one of six children born to Earl and Louise Little.
Malcolm’s father was a Baptist preacher and his mother was a writer for Marcus Garvey’s newspaper, but due
to their deant stance against racism and their staunch activism within the black community, the family was
compelled to abandon their home and to relocate to Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1926, but shortly thereaer
circumstances compelled them to relocate once more, this time they settled in Lansing Michigan.
However, as in their previous homes the family suered frequent harassment and intimidation at the hands of
local white supremacists. Soon aer they moved to Lansing, their new home was burnt to the ground.
Tragically, the family was never compensated - for their loss.
is traumatic incident would in the tender heart of Malcolm Little, entrench a bitter sentiment of
vengefulness and abhorrence for the white power structure. Unfortunate as it was, this tragedy was not to be
the last for Malcolm and his family.
THE AWAKENING STORM
On a fateful September night in 1931, when Malcolm was only six years old, his father was brutally murdered
and dismembered by some local members of the Klu Klux Klan. His mutilated remains were found on a
railway track the next morning.
e homicide was dismissed by the authorities and ocially ruled to be a mere accident, some even implied
that Malcolm’s father had in fact committed suicide but Malcolm now a 6 year old orphan, would grow up
with the conviction that his father was murdered by a group of white -supremacists. e incident was not a
novelty to Malcolm or to his siblings, as three of their uncles had already been killed by racist thugs.
In 1938, seven years following the murder of his father, Malcolm’s mother suered a nervous breakdown
and was sent to a mental unit in Kalamazoo State Hospital. She remained there for almost a quarter of a
century, secluded from her home and family. Sadly, resulting from this painful course of events, Malcolm and
his siblings were split up and sent to live in dierent foster homes.
SUNRISE IN BOSTON
e young Malcolm excelled at West Junior High, where he was the only black student in attendance, in fact
during the 7th grade he was elected class president, however he le school and abandoned his studies in the
8th grade when his English teacher had informed him that black boys could not become lawyers, such were
the accepted norms of society.
Understandably Malcolm felt that the white world aorded no place for an intelligent and industrious black
man, regardless of his ambitions and aptitude. Having dropped out of school at the age of 14, he sought new
opportunities in Boston, where he settled with his half-sister – Ella. She resided in the middle class locality of
Roxbury.
6
DETROIT RED AND THE HARLEM NIGHTS
en aer a short time in Boston, Malcolm moved to Harlem in 1943. Soon aer his arrival in Harlem
the young Malcolm became acquainted with the underground scene and became an initiate into the dark
underworld of drug dealing, gambling, extortion, robbery and pimping.
Malcolm was dazzled by the night life in downtown
Harlem, which he used to call “e Technicolor Bazar”.
At only 17 years of age, Malcolm already had a street
reputation and a signicant network of criminal contacts
and acquaintances in Harlem.
As his prole developed in Harlem, he operated under the
street name “Detroit Red”, so called because of the reddish
hair he inherited from his Scottish grandfather. But by
1946, at the age of 20 he was convicted on charges of
burglary and sentenced to a ten year prison term.
He eventually served almost seven years at Charlestown
State Prison and was released in 1952.
THE PRODIGIOUS PROTÉGÉ
As an inmate, Malcolm soon earned himself the nickname of “Satan” because of his intense hatred for God
and religion. In jail Malcolm met John Elton Bembry, who was commonly known as ‘Bimbi’. Malcolm had a
profound respect for Bimbi, he was a self-educated convict who had reformed himself and taken to serious
studies and enlightenment while in prison.
Under the guidance and encouragement of Bimbi, Malcolm had developed an appetite for books that
can only be described as Epicurean in proportion and such literary indulgence that eventually led to his
weakening eyesight and heavy stigmatism, subsequently resulting in his much needed use of glasses,
yet despite this setback - Malcolm consumed knowledge like a desert rose consumes sunlight.
By the time he had served his sentence, Malcolm had read large volumes of classical text, he had engaged in
many prison debates with visiting scholars from Harvard and MIT, while in his spare time he had even
handwritten the entire English dictionary.
During his seven year term in custody, Malcolm received a letter from his brother Philbert, informing
Malcolm that he had;
“Discovered the natural religion of the black man”
Philbert and the rest of Malcolm’s siblings had now joined a movement called “e Nation of Islam” and they
were now inviting Malcolm to join them. But to this invite, Malcolm responded with erce opposition.
A short while following the rst correspondence, Malcolm received another letter, this time it was from his
other brother - Reginald.
Malcolm thought that the letter was some sort of clever strategy – or a hype, written in coded language to
help him escape prison, this feeling excited him and gave him a much hope and enthusiasm.
7
THE BIRTH OF MALCOLM X
In 1948 Malcolm wrote a letter to the leader of the Nation of Islam, seeking council. Elijah Muhammad
personally responded to Malcolm’s letter, advising him to renounce his criminal past, to submit to Allah and
to make an oath that he would never return to his former street life.
is marked the beginning of a friendship between Malcolm and Elijah Muhammed.
In 1950, Malcolm had changed his name to “Malcolm X”, he also began to espouse radical ideas and racially
biased view of the world as he became more and more inuenced by the false doctrines and teachings, of
Elijah Muhammad.
TEMPLE NUMBER SEVEN
In August 1952, aer Malcolm had served his term in
jail and was released on parole, he travelled to Chicago
intending to pay a personal visit to Elijah Muhammad’s
in his home. By June 1953, he was promoted to the rank
of assistant minister, initially serving at a temple in
Detroit. Later that year, he established a new Temple in
Boston and by March 1954 he established another
Temple in Philadelphia. en just two months later, he
was promoted once more, this time he was given the
leadership of Temple Number 7 in Harlem.
Malcolm successfully recruited many supporters and
new converts to the Nation of Islam. By 1955, resulting
from Malcolm X’s enthusiastic drive and compelling
rhetoric, thousands of African Americans were now
bolstering the ranks of the Nation of Islam, with
numbers rising each and every month.
Alarmed by the rapid rise of Malcolm X, the FBI soon opened a le and began to monitor his progress. Mal-
colm was credited with the organization’s dramatic increase in membership from ve hundred to over forty
ve thousand, in the short period of time during which he was initiated as a minister within the movement.
Malcolm even inspired the young boxer, Cassius Clay - later known as Muhammad Ali. Encouraging him to
join the Nation of Islam, before he became the heavyweight world champion.
And in June 1963, Malcolm organised and headed the - Unity Rally - in Harlem, which was one of America’s
largest civil rights events. Later that year, the New York Times had reported that Malcolm X was now the
second most popular speaker, in the United States.
8
NINETY DAYS
Successful as he was, Malcom’s rising popularity and growing inuence began to rues a few feathers and
provoked some discontent from within the movement. Some members began to suspect that Malcom was
becoming even more inuential than their leader, Elijah Muhammad. is jealousy and resentment would be
the cause of a major ri between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad.
On December the 1st 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in broad daylight. e nation was in
deep mourning. In an interview following the assassination, when asked what his opinions were on the
assassination of President Kennedy, Malcolm’s response was frank and unapologetic. He expressed his
opinion that it was a case of “chickens coming home to roost”.
is statement prompted a series of reactions from across America and from within the Nation of Islam itself.
Malcolm X was condemned by the Nation of Islam and was banned from giving any public lectures for ninety
days. Malcolm X now found himself isolated, silenced and abandoned, by his own brothers.
CROSSING THE RUBICON
In March 1964, within a few month of having been silenced by Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X publicly
announced his ocial departure from the Nation of Islam.
Malcolm also expressed an earnest desire to collaborate with other civil rights leaders and groups. He then
established - e Organization for Afro-American Unity - and founded the Muslim Mosque Incorporated.
Soon aer his exit from the NOI, several Sunni Muslims encouraged Malcolm X to abandon the false
doctrines of the NOI and to learn about true Islam. Malcolm accepted their invitation and aer careful
contemplation and consideration, he embraced orthodox Islam.
9
FROM MECCA WITH LOVE
In April 1964, Malcolm X embarked on the Hajj, the sacred pilgrimage to the heartland of Islam,
in Mecca - modern day Saudi Arabia.
A day aer his arrival in Jeddah, Malcolm X was informed
that crown Prince Faisal (later to become King Faisal of
Saudi Arabia) had extended a personal invite, welcoming
Malcolm as an honored guest of the kingdom and in a
gesture of brotherhood and kindness, Malcolm was
entertained and hosted by Prince Faisal, following the Hajj
ceremonies.
Soon aer his enlightened journey to Mecca, Al-Hajj Malik
Al-Shabbazz, as he now came to be known in the Muslim
world, embarked on a trail blazing tour of Africa.
During these visits he met ocials, gave interviews, spoke
on national television and on radio stations in various
countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria,
Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Senegal, Liberia, Algeria and
Morocco.
Presidents Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria had
each invited Malcolm X to serve as a minister in their governments.
Following a speech at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, the Muslim Students Association honored
Malcolm with the Yoruba name Omowale, which means “the son who has returned home”. By the time
Malcolm le Africa, he had met with most of the continent’s leaders.
In November 1964, on his way home from Africa, Malcolm X stopped in Paris where he delivered a lecture at
the Salle de la Mutualité. A week later, Malcolm X ew to the United Kingdom and on December the 3rd, he
participated in a debate at the Oxford Union. Interest in the debate was so high that it was televised across the
nation, by the BBC.
Malcolm’s reach and inuence had outgrown the racial boundaries set by the Nation of Islam, he was no
longer just a civil rights activist, now he became a human rights activist.
Malcom X had expressed his desire to work with other organizations and leaders in order to present a
legal case at the international court for human rights, in an unprecedented eort to bring charges against
the United States, for its gross human rights violations against the poor marginalized and brutalized African
American minority.
Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X met
before a press conference following the
senate debate on the Civil Rights Act of
1964. is meeting marked the start of
what many people saw as a bright prospect
for a golden union between the two leaders,
and a joint eort to cooperate and
collaborate with one another.
10
MALCOLM THE MAN
Al-Hajj Malik Al-Shabbazz was remarkably charismatic, he was an eloquent orator and had an impressive
physical presence. At six foot three inches tall, he had an imposing yet gentle composure. One journalist
described him as;
“Mesmerizingly handsome and always spotlessly well-groomed”
In 1955, Betty Sanders met Malcolm X aer one of his lectures. She would soon be attending his lectures
more regularly. Yet although they had never discussed marriage before, Malcolm X unexpectedly proposed
to Sister Betty over the phone, in January 1958, they were married only two days later and became the proud
parents to six beautiful daughters.
11
AS THE SUN SETS
Malcolm’s departure from the Nation of Islam had been preceded by growing tensions between Malcolm X
and Elijah Muhammad, particularly over rumors concerning Elijah Muhammad’s adulterous relationships
with some of his teenage secretaries.
Aer rst ignoring the rumors, Malcolm’s suspicions were conrmed when he spoke to Elijah Muhammad’s
own son, Wallace Muhammad. e suspicions were also validated by the testimonies of some of the young
women who had been sexually exploited, by Elijah Muhammad himself.
But by now there were rumors circulating that highly placed members of the NOI were plotting to kill
Malcolm X. e strains between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam increased and soon both public and
private threats were being made. In February 1964, an attempt was made to wire Malcolm’s car with
explosives, but it was unsuccessful.
In the weeks and months to come, Malcolm’s wife would receive a string of anonymous phone calls. Each one
delivering blood curdling threats. On June the 8th 1964, FBI surveillance recorded a man calling Malcolm X’s
home and instructing Sister Betty to tell her husband that;
“He’s as good as dead”
Also in June 1964, the Nation of Islam sued Malcolm X and attempted to claim his residence in Queens
[New York]. Sadly, Malcolm lost his home and the entire family was ordered to vacate the premises, but
the Nation of Islam were not yet satised. So on February 14th in 1965, Malcolm’s home was burned to the
ground, all of his children were asleep at the time.
By the Divine Grace of God, Malcolm X and his family survived the attempt, however despite the
overwhelming evidence that was available, no one was charged or brought to justice. is was deeply
reminiscent of Malcolm’s childhood experience, three decades into the tragic past.
12
e following week, on February the 21st in 1965, during the nal hour of his life. Al-Hajj Malik Al-Shabbaz
was preparing to deliver a lecture in front of the - Organization of Afro-American Unity - in Manhattan’s
Audubon Ballroom.
In fact, the night before he was due to deliver this lecture, Malcolm X felt uneasy about the event. He had
called his wife and the children, telling them to come and visit him the very next day. is was unusual, as by
now he was so aware of the imminent threat to his life that he would strictly forbid his family from attending
any of his public meetings, but not on this occasion.
Soon aer he had greeted the audience, there were screams and distressed voices echoed throughout the hall.
An unidentied man seated in the front row then rushed forward and shot Malcolm once in the chest, with
a double-barreled sawed-o shotgun. Two other men then charged onto the stage and red semi-automatic
handguns, fatally hitting Malcolm several times at close range.
Malcolm X was pronounced dead at 3:30pm, shortly aer arr iving at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
On Friday aernoon, his funeral rites and prayers were performed in accordance to orthodox Islamic
teachings, by Sheikh Ahmad Hassan, a Sunni cleric who had travelled to the US to serve as Malcolm’s spiritual
guide and teacher in the nal months of his life.
Malcolm died in front of his wife and children, but even in his nal moments, he stood before the world
fearlessly and selessly. Courageously ghting to restore the principles of Justice, Liberty and equality.
13
THE LEGACY OF MALCOLM X
At 39 years old, Malcolm X had lived several lives and experienced several radical but profound
transformations in his opinions and convictions. He went from a criminal operating in Harlem’s underworld,
to becoming a world class advocate for justice. His career unfolded while he was a physical prisoner, but his
achievements blossomed when he became a liberator of hearts and an emancipator of minds. His ultimate
message grew from that of a Nationalist to the call of a Universalist.
Al-Hajj Malik Al-Shabbazz opened America’s eyes to the message of Islam, his example opened many hearts
to the collective call of brotherhood. His biography demonstrates the universality of Islam for all people,
regardless of race or status.
Finally, he rejected racism and embraced racial equality. He submitted himself, in humility and dedication,
to e One and Only, God.
14
FAISAL IBN ‘ABD AL-‘AZĪZ ĀL SAUD (1905–1975)
THE KING’S SPEECH
OF ROYAL PEDIGREE
Faisal ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Saud was born in the Royal
House of Saud. He was the third son of King ‘Abd
al-‘Azīz Āl Saud, the founder of modern day Saudi
Arabia.
Faisal’s date of birth is not ocially conrmed, as
birth certicates were unavailable in the region of
Hejaz at that time, however some historians have
posited that he was born in the year 1905.
Faisal is an old and traditional Arabic name meaning
“Sword”. He spent much of his early life under the
attentive guardianship of his maternal grandfather.
His grandfather molded his character and inuenced
his personality in a very profound way.
CARE AND CULTIVATION
From a very young age, Faisal’s mother would habitually encourage and motivate him to cultivate and devel-
op the proud nomadic traits of courage, generosity and above all – religious piety and sincerity. But the loving
inspiration and maternal cheer that the child had been so accustomed to, during these early years were to be
disrupted prematurely, when his beloved mother died in 1912. Faisal would have been only 7 years of age.
Like a delicate but precious pearl, washed up on the desolate shores of grief and separation. Overwhelmed
by the sweeping tides of orphanage, the young Prince soon found solace and serenity under the care of his
maternal grandfather, who was an inspiration and a mentor for the tender soul.
During his years under the tutelage and guidance of his grandfather, Prince Faisal had learned to read e
Noble Quran and began studying the principles of Islam, away from the distractions and comforts of his
father’s royal halls and magnicent palaces.
e pure environment, beneath the open skies of the desert terrain in which Faisal grew up during his form-
ative years, would slowly engrain delicate but deep ties to the desert life and le an indelible mark upon the
impressionable mind of the young Prince.
15
Faisal had no brothers of his own age to distract him from memorizing the Quran or from contemplating
the profound teachings of the Prophet Muhammed (SalallAhu ‘Aleihi wa Sallam).
Prince Faisal’s experience was remarkable because unlike his brothers, he had lived with the desert dwellers
and was learned in their traditions and knew their dialects. Furthermore, he understood the subtleties of
classical Arabic poetry.
Faisal’s childhood experiences in the open desert enabled him to learn how to ride horses, how to hunt with
falcons, how to shoot ries and even how to handle swords. In addition to these useful abilities,
Faisal’s uncles taught him military strategies and tactics as well as the customs and histories of the Arab
tribes surrounding him. He was well verses in their heritage and knew about their blood feuds, he even
learned to recognize the grazing patters of each Bedouin tribe.
Above all, the young Prince was an ardent apprentice of desert diplomacy, which he had learnt directly from
his father - King ‘Abdul ‘Aziz, the unrivalled champion. Consequently, these early experiences would serve
the young Prince a great deal, in later years.
Prince Faisal was a unique product of the untainted environment of the open desert. As a son of the soil he
understood the common dialects of his people and participated in everyday activities, from herding camels
to shooting arrows in the wilderness. Faisal had surpassed his brothers in many respects and was perhaps
one of the king’s most promising children.
is was a sentiment that was evident from the king’s expressions. King ‘Abdul ‘Aziz would make the
following remark concerning his third son;
“I only wish I had 3 Faisals”.
16
BEYOND THE DESERT KINGDOM
Faisal’s brilliance and natural intelligence would soon be tested, when in 1919, the British government invited
King ‘Abdul ‘Aziz to visit London on a diplomatic mission. However, with the recent death of the king’s eldest
son and with concerns over the domestic situation, the king sent his 14 year old son Faisal, to represent him.
is diplomatic assignment made Faisal the very rst Saudi royal to visit the United Kingdom. He travelled
with a cousin who was raised in Turkey, along with a merchant who spoke English. ey were accompanied
by several royal guards.
Yet despite his new surroundings and the alien culture that engrossed his 14 year old imagination, Faisal had not
forgotten his upbringing in the desert heartland of Arabia. e morning following his arrival in the
United Kingdom, Prince Faisal and his entourage were forcefully removed from their hotel room, aer
having made the morning call to prayers, thereby waking up the entire hotel.
Faisal spent all but ve months in Britain wherein he met with high ranking British ocials. During the same
period, he also visited France where he was saluted as the rst Saudi royal to pay an ocial visit there.
Furthermore, during his stay in Britain - King George invited Prince Faisal and his entourage to Buckingham
Palace in the spirit of hospitality.
However, when he was asked what he liked best about the United Kingdom, the young Prince Faisal replied
that he particularly enjoyed;
“Riding up and down, the long escalators, in Piccadilly Circus”.
e teenager learnt a few phrases in English and gained a fresh new insight into the world outside the desert
kingdom, in fact, he became the country’s de-facto Foreign minister at the age of 14 and he subsequently
continued to serve as the kingdom’s foreign representative for the rest of his life.
17
PRINCELY PASSIONS
Upon the death of King ‘Abdul ‘Aziz and the succession of Prince Faisal’s elder brother, King Saud,
in 1953. Faisal was subsequently appointed to become the Crown Prince.
But by 1958, due to growing unrest concerning the new King’s nancial ineptitude and policies, many
members of the royal family, along with senior members of the religious establishment were actively calling
for the appointment of Prince Faisal to the oce of prime minister, thereby endorsing the motion that Prince
Faisal should be granted wider executive powers to support his elder brother with his decision making.
Once appointed to the rank of prime minister, Prince Faisal initiated a massive nancial reform that
dramatically reduced unnecessary expenditure and lavish projects within the kingdom. Faisal had diligently
worked to rescue the state treasury from bankruptcy. His policy of nancial conservativeness was to become
a symbol of his good judgement and earned him a reputation for prudence and moderation.
However, not long aer his appointment, Prince Faisal was at the center of a power struggle between himself
and the reigning monarch, King Saud. But on the 18th of December 1960, Prince Faisal resigned as prime
minister expressing his concerns that King Saud was jeopardizing his nancial reforms and reversing the
positive impact of his policies.
King Saud thereaer revoked Faisal’s executive powers and appointed his other brother Prince Talal to the
executive post of Finance minister.
TOWARDS A NEW SAUDI ARABIA
However by 1962, Prince Faisal rallied enough support from within the royal family to re-install himself as
prime minister for a second time. It was during his second term as prime minister that Prince Faisal was
successful in being able to cement his reputation as a reformer and an agent for development and
modernization, within the kingdom.
Prince Faisal was the rst Saudi monarch to introduce female education despite the consternation of many
conservatives, in the traditional institutions. He challenged the social norms and championed the cause for
women to achieve prociency in reading, writing and arithmetic.
A delegation of objectors soon approached Prince Faisal in an attempt to revoke his plans towards female
education in the kingdom, their concerns were rebued by Faisal’s bold challenge to present just one verse in
the Noble Quran wherein women were forbidden to read and write.
Prince Faisal’s wife was deeply involved in championing the cause for female aairs in general and female
education, in particular. Prince Faisal also supported the establishment of the Islamic University of Madinah
in 1961 and he endorsed the establishment of the Muslim World League in 1962.
18
KING AT LAST, DEVELOPMENT FIRST
In November 1964, Prince Faisal was designated to the throne in favor of his elder brother the former King
Saud, but Prince Faisal is reported to have refused the honor three times until it was eventually forced upon
him.
Upon his ascension to the throne, King Faisal still viewed the restoration of the country’s nances
as his main priority. He continued to pursue his judicious nancial policies during the rst years of his reign
and his aims of balancing the country’s budget eventually succeeded and was further advanced by an
increase in oil production.
King Faisal now embarked on a full blown
modernization program, the peak of his
achievements was the establishment of a
judicial system. Many universities were
established or expanded during his rule.
Many of the country’s current ministries,
government agencies and welfare programs
were established during King Faisal’s reign.
He invested heavily in infrastructure, he
also introduced policies such as agricultural
and industrial subsidies as well as pension
plans and social insurance programs for the
Saudi work force.
When King Faisal ascended to the throne,
there was only 317 Riyals in the royal
treasury vault. A measly sum of little over
$50 US dollars. erefore the King
initiated a sweeping nancial reform
program that would limit and minimize
excessive allowances that were previously
granted to members of the royal family, at
the expense of the public.
As a result of these courageous initiatives and measures, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was now on the road
to nancial stability and prosperity. King Faisal built many school and established several Mosques, he dug
various wells in the Bedouin regions and spent his own money towards settling the debts and medical bills of
local merchants and tribesmen. In fact, King Faisal spent 50 times more towards the educational budget in
one year than had been previously spent by the administration before him.
In 1964 King Faisal hired the National Broadcast Company to set up 4 TV stations in Riyadh, Jeddah,
Medina and Dammam. e rst television broadcasts were ocially transmitted in July 1965. But in 1966, an
especially zealous nephew of King Faisal by the name of Khalid Ibn Musaid led a group of armed protesters
in an attempt to destroy the television station in Riyadh. King Faisal had informed the ocers to retaliate
if the prince opened re reminding them, reminding his people that no one was above the law, not even a
prince.
When the police arrived to disperse the group, prince Khalid shot a security guard and was consequently shot
back in retaliation and self-defense. e prince eventually died from the bullet. is incident would
become the key trigger to a very tragic incident that would unfold a decade later. Yet despite the growing and
relentless opposition movement from conservative factions within the kingdom. King Faisal continued to
pursue his object ives and would a lways defend his p olicies by referring b ack to sound Islamic principles
19
THE PEOPLE’S PRINCE
However, unlike many of his contemporaries, King Faisal readily acknowledged his country’s religious and
cultural diversity, which included the predominantly Shia region of Ahsa in the east and the south western
region of ‘Asir. King Faisal’s policies were inclusive and applied equally to the various religious sub-groups
and denominations.
However, the dark stain of slavery was yet to vanish from the desert Kingdom, but within only two weeks of
having been elected King, the laws were changed and on November the 6th in the year 1962, the institution of
slavery was totally abolished in Saudi Arabia. King Faisal had long felt such conviction about this cause.
He previously stunned the American establishment upon visiting president Roosevelt in 1943, when he
emphatically insisted that his black assistants should be seated on the same table and eat the same food that
was served to him in an area of the restaurant that was reserved for whites only.
INTERNATIONAL ADVOCACY AND REFORM
In an era of ery Arab nationalism and popular communist revolutions, King Faisal was deantly anti-
Communist. He rejected all political advances from the Soviet Union declaring that Islam is completely
incompatibility with the Godless tenets of Communism. King Faisal associated Communism with Zionism,
an ideology which he also criticized sharply.
King Faisal was an active advocate for Islamic unity. He sought to counter the inuences of socialism and
Arab Nationalism in the region by promoting pan-Islamism as an alternative.
King Faisal was also an ardent advocate for the Palestinian struggle, he used his authority and political voice
to advance the message at an international level. In his famous speech, delivered at the UN in 1947, the king
addressed the Western audience with the following proposition;
“If you want to be generous, then be generous with what you possess”
He urged the West not to treat Palestine
“As if that country had no owners and as if her rightful inhabitants had no say in the matter”
But for his courageous and sincere advocacy on behalf of the Palestinians, King Faisal was insulted, shoved,
booed and spat upon by Jewish demonstrators in New York.
Yet aer many failed diplomatic attempts, coupled with the sequential breaches of contract by the US and UN
over the aairs of Palestine, King Faisal took matters into his own hands and made it clear that his concern
for the Muslims in Palestine was not one of mere words alone. Soon, the world stopped taking oil for granted.
In October of 1973, the Yom Kippur war began, also known as the Arab-Israeli War. During this time King
Faisal withdrew Saudi oil from the world markets as a strong sign of protest over the West’s
unrelenting and shameless support for Israel. King Faisal led the Arab oil embargo of 1973. is armative
strateg y increased the price of oil and was the primar y contributing fac tor b ehind the 1973 energy crisis.
It was to be the dening act of King Faisal’s career, an action that gained him lasting prestige among many
Muslims worldwide.
By the year 1974, he was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year. e nancial windfall generated by the oil
crisis fueled the nancial stream that continued to ow into the Saudi economy, long aer his death.
However, following the defeat of the united Arab forces in 1973, towards the end of the Arab-Israeli war
King Faisal was never again seen to smile publicly, due to his grief and growing sadness over the state of
Palestine and the loss of land inicted on the indigenous population. e King thus encouraged Muslims to
rise up and liberate the holy land in an historical and momentous speech.
20
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD
King Faisal was respected and highly regarded by his peers and contemporaries. He had invited Malcolm X to
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a guest of the state and accorded him a generous and honorable reception for
the duration of his pilgrimage in the holy land.
King Faisal also developed a close alliance with Pakistan where he is regarded highly for his foreign policies
and his Islamic ideals. He was a very close friend of Zulkar Ali Bhutto, the renowned prime minister of
Pakistan, as well as General Muhammad Zia ul-Haqq.
In fact, Lyallpur, Pakistan’s third largest city was renamed Faisalabad (lit. “City of Faisal”) in 1979 to honor
the legacy of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
21
THE PERSONAL LIFE OF A MONARCH
King Faisal’s personal life was somewhat unique compared to his predecessors and to his contemporaries.
e King had married two women before meeting his lifelong supporter and dedicated spouse, Queen Eat.
She was a very educated young woman whom he had met in Turkey –she was uent in French and was a very
condent personality who became the rst woman to be called and accepted as a Queen in Saudi Arabia.
Together, they championed the education of females, having established the very rst girl’s schools in the
Kingdom.
King Faisal’s daily routine was very consistent, he woke up for morning prayers and knelt down with his
servants in prostration before God. He habitually instructed people to address him as brother Faisal instead
of his highness.
King Faisal also witnessed much of the outside world during his lifetime, he even took lessons in English and
understood it enough to be able to correct his translators during interviews, yet despite this ability,
he preferred to communicate in Arabic.
Faisal was also a deep reader who would be stationed behind his desk consuming information sometimes six
or seven days in a row. He never lost his composure and was known to say;
“God gave us two ears and one tongue, that we should listen twice as much as we talk”
And by the end of 1974, Times magazine named King Faisal its “Man of the year”. Reporters described him as
dour, ascetic and shrewd.
But within days, of this article having been printed, King Faisal reportedly had two distinctive dreams.
Ominously, both were to prove true in the following months.
In one of his dreams, he was informed by his grandmother that it was time to meet his mother who had
died when he was only seven years old. In his second dream, he saw his grandfather, his sister and his oldest
brother - they all forced him into a car and drove away.
Upon relating his dreams to his aunt, he expressed his concern that he did not think he would live to see the
end of the new-year.
22
THE FINAL HOUR
On March the 25th in the year 1975, King Faisal arrived in his
oce at 10:25am to meet Kuwait’s new oil minister who was
waiting in a side room next to the King’s oce. Along with the
oil minister was the Saudi nance minister, Zaki Al Yamani and
a young Saudi prince who snuck into the waiting room with the
two senior dignitaries.
When the door to King Faisal’s oce was opened at 10:32am, the
young prince walked in behind the two ministers and as King
Faisal leaned over to embrace his young nephew, at that very
instant the young man took out a pistol and shot six rounds at
close range.
e rst shot hit the King’s chin, piercing his throat and ripping
through his jugular vein. e second bullet went through his ear
and grazed his temple. e King’s dreams had come to light,
he was assassinated by his own nephew.
King Faisal was quickly taken to the hospital while still alive, as the doctors massaged his heart while giving
him blood transfusions. However, due to the severity of the injuries, the doctors were unsuccessful in their
operation and King Faisal died, shortly thereaer.
It is reported that both before and aer the shooting, King Faisal remained calm.
Later that day, a radio newscaster held his tears back long enough to tell the nation that King Faisal had been
brutally assassinated. Following the murder of King Faisal, the city of Riyadh observed three days of
mourning and all government activities were at a standstill.
e assassin was prince Faisal Al Musaid, a twenty four years old graduate returning from the USA. He was
in fact the younger brother of prince Khalid Al Musaid, the prince who was shot dead in 1966 outside the
television station in Riyadh, as he led an armed assault against the guards. e assassin was captured directly
aer the attack and the nation’s high religious court convicted him of murder, he was subsequently sentenced
to be executed despite King Faisal’s dying request that the life of his assassin should be spared.
Within Saudi Arabia and in the wider Muslim world at large, it is commonly believed that King Faisal’s oil
boycott was the real cause of his assassination and that the young assassin was a willing agent, acting on
behalf of foreign forces.
THE LEGACY OF KING FAISAL
King Faisal’s body was buried a day following his death. He was laid to rest in an unmarked grave at Al- Oud
cemetery in Riyadh, on March the 26th in the year 1975.
His legacy burns bright in the heart of every Saudi citizen and his valiant call for justice rings throughout the
heartland of Islam. King Faisal’s sincere call for a unied Muslim world based on one book, one identity, one
God - will one day be realized by the true inheritors of his struggle.
King Faisal Ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Al-Saud was a reformer, a liberator, a champion for female education and a
courageous advocate for the Palestinian cause. He lived as he died, upon rm principles and upon deep
conviction. He loved his Muslim brothers and did his best to create a better society for his people.
May Allah grant King Faisal a spacious dwelling in Paradise and reward him for his struggles, on the path to
Islamic Unity.
23
AHMED HOOSEN DEEDAT (1918–2005)
THE GOLDEN YEARS
THE OLD HOMELAND
Ahmed Hoosen Deedat was born in India, on July the 1st in the year 1918. His family resided in the district
of Surat. Shortly aer his birth, his father, Hoosen Deedat, pursued new employment opportunities in the
growing economy of South Africa, where he soon found employment as a tailor. Hoosen Deedat made the
dicult yet courageous choice of leaving his infant son Ahmed, in the loving and vigilant guardianship of his
mother back in India. e young Ahmed Deedat would not be reunited with his father until nine years later.
When the situation was more favorable and his status grew more stable, Hoosen Deedat arranged for his
young son to join him in South Africa and that was when Ahmed Deedat obtained his rst passport, which
was issued by the British colonial administration.
A VOYAGE BEYOND THE HORIZON
Ahmed’s journey across the continent was to mark a sequence of curious encounters and exciting new
experiences for the nine year old adventurer. He travelled to South Africa unaccompanied by any adult on
this long and challenging sea voyage.
By the Grace of God, the young lad arrived safely in in South Africa in August 1927. But just a few days prior
to his arrival, the South African government had set a strict and nal deadline aer which no
unaccompanied youngster would be admitted within the borders unless they were accompanied by their
mothers. As fate would have it, Ahmed Deedat arrived at Durban’s shipping harbor only twenty four hours
too late, the deadline had expired and the new law had come into full eect – this meant that Ahmed Deedat
and all the children on board of the ship would be repatriated to India unless they were accompanied by their
mothers. Unfortunately for Ahmed, he was unaccompanied by any adult so the authorities were obliged to
send him back to India, however, his father adamant that no such thing would happen.
Ahmed’s father, Hoosen Deedat, was a resolute and rm man who would not take no for an answer, in a
moment that would set the course of history for Islam in South Africa, Hoosen Deedat held the tender hand
of his nine year old son and deantly walked past the customs ocers.
By the Will of Allah, Ahmed Deedat was the only child that day, to have been admitted into the country, all
of the others were repatriated back to India. Hoosen Deedat found a great admirer in his young son Ahmed,
perhaps his condence and strength of character had contributed towards the courage and condence that
would become the hallmarks of Ahmed Deedat in years to come.
24
GETTING FROM A TO Z
Ahmed was enrolled at the Anjuman School in central Durban. Yet despite his lack of prior training in the
English language and literature, the young pupil soon caught up and surpassed his classmates and went on to
become an exemplary student topping all his class mates, in just six months.
Yet his bright prospects and dazzling ambitions would be darkened by the dark clouds of separation and loss
that engulfed the young hopeful when news of his mother’s death reached him in South Africa. Ahmed’s
mother had only survived a few months following his journey to South Africa, unbeknown to either of them,
they were never to see one another again following his departure.
e young Ahmed’s emotional losses were soon to take on a nancial dimension, when he found himself
shouldering a mountainous load of worries and concerns at the tender age of 10 years old, uncertain as to the
future continuation of his studies.
e strains from this painful predicament soon became apparent on the face of Ahmed Deedat, the traces of
concern and stress caught the attention of a local businessman who approached the young orphan and
reassured him that his school fees would continue to be paid if only he returned to school and stopped
worrying about the fees.
Upon returning to school, Ahmed Deedat was
confronted by his teacher and his school fees were
at once demanded, to this request, Ahmed Deedat
responded full of condence and in all sincerity
that he would return to school with his fees.
However, unbeknown to him at the time, the
promises that were made to him were only a cruel
form of entertainment and a vicious string of lies
and deception. e businessman told Ahmed that
he was only joking, in actuality, he did not intend
to sponsor the young orphan’s education in the
rst place, it was all just a joke.
As tragic as this was, the young Ahmed was soon
to experience more hardship when his father was
forced to discontinue the school payments and to
take him out of school due to the
aforementioned nancial circumstances.
Like millions of prepubescent boys of that era, the young Ahmed was now obliged to take a trade, he found
his vocation thirty kilometers outside of the city of Durban, in a quaint local country store known as “Adam’s
Mission station”, which was noticeably positioned opposite a missionary center. A formation center where
young African missionaries were recruited and trained to evangelize to the local populations.
ese students would frequent the shop, and preach to Ahmed, using him as some sort of a “guinea pig”,
they tested all of their techniques on the sta at the store, many of whom were Muslim by faith – but were
totally clueless as to what this faith actually meant. Seeing this state of vulnerability and susceptibility, the
young missionaries would re various questions and challenged the Muslim shop workers with all sorts of
refutations against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (SalallAhu ‘aleihi wa Sallam).
is routine would be continuous, and would be repeated daily. e ordeal reached such a level that despite
the diculties in nding gainful employment in those days, Ahmed Deedat began to seriously consider
quitting his job to escape the constant taunts and challenges from the young missionaries.
25
THE TRUTH REVEALED
Knowing little more than the testimony of faith and a few minor details about Islam, Ahmed Deedat found
himself unable and incapable of defending his beliefs as the challenges and attacks mounted on a daily basis,
yet he felt what was a growing desire and an overwhelming inner sentiment that pushed him to seek some
sort of enlightenment and clarication regarding these matters.
But unbeknown to him, all the answers he was looking for were to be found right where he was stationed.
e enlightening moment was nal unraveled when the young assistant began rummaging through his
bosses warehouse in search of interesting reading material, it was then that he discovered a worm eaten book
that would change the course of his life forever.
e book was old and dusty, and upon wiping away the dirt from its old covers, the book’s title was revealed
– it had an Arabic type with the following words inscribed beneath it, “Izhaar-ul-Haqq” which translates in
English as “e Truth revealed”. e book had a publication date of 1915 and was printed in India.
As if some sort of answer to his quest for information, Ahmed Deedat soon realized that the contents of this
book provided him with direct and elaborate answers to all of the questions that were clouding his mind. In
fact, the entire book was an account of various encounters between the Christian missionaries that had been
sent to India to evangelize the gospel and convert the Muslim populace using various strategies and argu-
ments for the cause. e contents of the book also documented various accounts and details of spectacular
debates that took place between the Muslim scholars of the sub-continent against the missionary professors
that would challenge them to public debates in the native language.
Fired up with the zeal and enthusiasm of learning and discovery, it was in that very hour that that Ahmed
Deedat began to learn the answers he was so in need of, as he ickered though to pages with passion and
persistence, his fervor was matched by the depth and brilliance of the arguments and logical answers
presented by the Muslim author.
More than providing a goldmine of information, the book had sparked a deep interest and inspired the young
man to begin a lifelong quest seeking knowledge and facts about the various religious manuscripts written
from an Islamic prospective, but more importantly, the book had re-attached him to Islam, he began reading
the Quran and memorizing its beautiful verses all while conducting his own research into the Bible and the
new testament. He subsequently purchased his rst bible and began indexing the verses as part of his own
growing portfolio of research.
26
THE TURNING TIDES
Soon, Ahmed Deedat would begin engaging the young missionaries that frequented his store for debates and
one by one, they would cease to visit the store when they were confronted with the brilliant and logical argu-
ments from the young Ahmed.
Now motivated and enthusiastic in his position, Ahmed Deedat le the store and decided to visit a local Bible
studies class that was being delivered by an English convert to Islam, Mr Fairfax. Ahmed Deedat attended the
lectures with enthusiasm and learnt much about comparative religion and biblical sciences. A few months
had passed and Mr Fairfax ceased to attend, the students were saddened by his absence and Ahmed Deedat
stood in on his behalf, his style and charisma was so brilliant that he eventually continued teaching the class
for a further 3 years.
PIVOTAL PLATFORMS
Gone were the days when Ahmed Deedat would be
swamped by questions and challenges from local
missionaries that visited the store and gone were the
days of timid responses and half-hearted attempts to
defend his faith. Ahmed Deedat now began to challenge
the missionaries regarding the validity and veracity of
their own scripture, this he did skillfully and eloquently
with a uency and authoritative tone that soon drove
the missionaries away from the store altogether.
Following his successful engagements with the
missionaries, Ahmed Deedat began to seek a new
platform for his thought provoking questions and his
call to Islam. He pioneered new and unheard of
approaches to the traditional means of propagating
Islam, he was one of the rsts proponents to place open
adverts in the local English newspapers in defense of
Islam. is was unique and unheard of during the
British colonial rule – he soon purchased an English
translation of the Noble Quran by Yusuf Ali and began
to memorize its chapters and verses, this was to be his
greatest and more prized investment. e Quran
became is inspiration and he drew all of his love and
motivation from its luminous verses.
AL-SALAAM IS BORN
Dawah – or the Islamic call and propagation - began to dominate his life, Ahmed Deedat was soon invited to
Cape Town, where he lectured in huge halls, attracting crowds of over forty thousand people. He raised the
morale of the Malay people in the Cape, who had been feeling disillusioned and downtrodden by the
dominant Eurocentric culture in South Africa.
During his rise to fame, Ahmed Deedat was approached by a man known as Hajjee Kadwa following one of
his open lectures. e wealthy patron extended an open oered of seventy ve acres of land, which would all
be donated to Ahmed Deedat’s organisation in order to assist them in their work and development.
is came as a major breakthrough for the Sheikh and his administrative team. He seized the opportunity
and moved to the South Coast of Natal, with his family, to establish and run the new organization, which he
named As-Salaam. As-Salaam was dedicated to teaching comparative religion, students also learnt how to
clarify misconceptions and to deliver the pure teachings of Islam to non-Muslim audiences.
27
TOWARDS BRIGHTER CONSTELLATIONS
By the year 1973, the project had run out of steam and Ahmed Deedat was confronted with dwindling
nancial resources and an over stretched workload. As-Salaam had not developed into the multi-national
development agency that was originally envisioned, so aer 17 years of faithful service and continuous eort
towards the project, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat cordially resigned from his post as a leading authority in
As-Salaam.
However, where a door was shut, several windows of opportunity were soon to open for the Sheikh. He soon
found himself immersed in the development of a new and more ambitious project. e Islamic Propagation
Centre International (e IPCI) was subsequently founded and directed by Ahmed Deedat in the weeks
and months that followed his resignation from As-Salaam, here he aimed at internationalizing the Dawah to
reach a broader audience and to make a greater impact.
e Sheikh soon realized the objectives of his international ambitions when he set o for his rst trip to the
Arab world in 1976. He was accompanied by a close friend of his, Ebrahim Jadwat, the two travelled to
Riyadh for an Islamic conference.
Ebarhim Jadwat attended the conference with the intention to elicit some interest in Ahmed Deedat at a time
when he was little know in the Arab world, upon prompting some of the Arab journalists to interview Ahmed
Deedat, he was met with indierence and a genuine lack of interests, some even laughed and noted the
fact that with so many famous Sheikhs in Saudi Arabia, what need did they have to interview an unknown
man from South Africa. But driven by a tenacious and tireless conviction in Ahmed Deedat’s unique talent,
Ebrahim Jadwat eventually convinced the Saudi Broadcasters to interview Ahmed Deedat for 2 minutes,
the rest – as they say, is history.
Sheikh Deedat with his entertaining approach, dynamic personality, deep knowledge of Christianity, swept
the Arab world o its feet. Going to Riyadh opened up many doors for him, and his dream of printing and
distributing the Qur’an and other literature soon become a reality.
Ahmed Deedat was a pioneer of contemporary mass Dawah, he was ahead of his time in his diverse
strategies to deliver the message to a modern audience, he directly challenged the Christian missionary move-
ment in the Muslim world and paved the way for a new generation of Muslim thinkers and activists.
His tireless eorts to propagate the pristine message of Islam resulted in many outstanding achievements,
during his lifetime, the IPCI printed thousands of Noble Qurans which were distributed worldwide, his
organisation printed various books and titles and produced lengthy cassettes which were circulated across
the globe, but perhaps – Ahmed Deedat was most noted for his ground breaking lectures which were
organized and delivered all over the world.
28
THE GREAT DEBATE
In November 1986, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat’s greatest debate was anticipated on both sides of the atlantic.
He had agreed to participate in an historic debate with the American missionary and famed televangelist,
the reverend Jimmy Swaggart. e debate was entitled “Is the Bible the Word of God?” it was to be held at
reverend Swaggart’s hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. e event was much anticipated attracting an
audience of eight thousand people. In fact, Ahmed Deedat’s bold and daring challenge in the reverend’s
home town was foreseen by some people as being almost Davidian against the Golithian powerhouse of
Reverend Jimmy Swaggart, who headed a one hundred million dollar ministry and one of the largest
evangelist churches in the world – in fact, the odds were stacked so heavily against Sheikh Ahmed Deedat
that his very own son, Yusuf Deedat, began to dissuade his father from debating Jimmy Swaggart several
times.
But the date was set, the tickets were sold out and the anticipation was sky high. Not only did this mark one
of the most famous interfaith encounters in modern history, but it was a pivotal moment in the Muslim
world, the confrontation between the East and the Western ideological struggle and a meeting of minds.
e debate on whether the Bible was the veritable word of God had come to symbolize a debate of epic
proportions, the event was duly renamed the “Great Debate.”
e outcome of this momentous debate took the world by surprise and overwhelmed countless spectators
across the world. By the Will of Allah, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat defeated the seasoned American evangelist in a
captivating exchange of words and an eloquent presentation of evidence and logical deductions in support of
the Muslim perspective.
e outcome of this debate propelled Ahmed Deedat to new heights in his career, he was swept up in a
whirlwind of tours, visiting and lecturing in numerous countries.
29
THE LEGENDARY IMPACT OF DEEDAT DAWAH
With his new status and achievements in the eld of Islamic Propagation, Ahmed Deedat’s organisation,
the IPCI expanded its activities and its premises, moving to a larger building and servicing a growing global
audience.
In 1986, the Saudi administration awarded Ahmed Deedat by honoring him with the prestigious King Faisal
International Prize for Service of Islam.
Ahmed Deedat’s style and charisma inuenced a new generation of Muslim thinkers and defenders of the
faith, perhaps one of the most prominent students of the late Sheikh is Dr Zakir Naik, who owes a great debt
of gratitude to the late sheikh
At the height for his fame and inuence, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat was in contact with several leaders and men
of inuence, he was reported to have even received a personal phone call from the late President, Nelson
Mandela - who happened to be on a state visit in Saudi Arabia at the time. e president had called Ahmed
Deedat to congratulate him for his international icon status in the Muslim World.
In 1984 Sheikh Ahmed Deedat even challenged the Pope to a public debate in the Vatican Square, but the
Pope did not accept.
30
THE SWAN SONG
Ahmed Deedat, was the father of modern day inter-faith dialogue and debate within the Muslim world. His
world tours guaranteed packed auditoriums and energized countless communities to defend their faith in
the most eloquent and convincing of ways, by understanding and quoting the luminous verses of the Noble
Quran.
Just when his fame grew to wondrous proportions and his following began to grow internationally, the
Sheikh’s career came to an abrupt stop in 1996, when he delivered his last lecture in Sydney, Australia. e
lecture was considered to be one of his most passionate talks.
On May the 3rd 1996, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat suered a severe stroke, known as “lock in syndrome” the eect
of this stroke le him paralyzed from the neck down. He was no longer able to speak or swallow, in fact –
concerns grew so high that several doctors began to inform the Deedat family that the great man only had 10
days le to live.
Upon receiving this devastating news, Yusuf Deedat, the son of Ahmed Deedat - returned home and began to
make a series of urgent calls to his contacts in Saudi Arabia. Following a number of calls, Ahmed Deedat was
taken to Saudi Arabia on a medical jet, which was dispatched by the Saudi royal family. Ahmed Deedat spent
the next 10 months in a highly specialized unit at the King Faisal hospital in Riyadh, where he was trained
to use special machines to communicate with eye movements. e Saudi government had even appointed a
specialist neurologist from Germany to take care of Ahmed Deedat.
Following his return home from Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Deedat spent the next nine years of his life bed-bound
in his South African home. Sheikh Ahmed Deedat’s greatest battle came to an end on August the 8th in the
year 2005, when the disease had totally weakened his body and eventually claimed his life.
COURAGE HAS A FACE
e legacy that Sheikh Ahmed Hoosen Deedat le behind extends towards the entire Muslim Ummah.
ousands of people, from across South Africa, participated in the funeral of Sheikh Ahmed Deedat. ey
came from near and far to pay their last respects to the man who had made them proud, a man who at a time
when the Muslim community had everything going against it, singlehandedly raised their morale and made
them proud to be Muslims again, a man whose voice, courage and conviction served as a piercing ray of light
amidst the blinding shadows of confusion, doubt and ignorance.
May Allah grant Sheikh Ahmed Deedat a most beautiful and ready audience in the palaces of Paradise.
31
PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIĆ (1925–2003)
SUNSHINE IN SARAJEVO
MORNING SUN SHINES THROUGH THE DARK
Alija Izetbegović, the heroic president of Bosnia Herzegovina was born on the 8th of August 1925 in the
North Eastern municipality of Bosanski Samac, located on the right bank of the river Sava.
e Izetbegovićs did not live in Bosanski Samac long enough to see Alija grow up in his town of birth, in
fact within two years of his arrival the entire family relocated to Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia. Here, the
young Alija identied strongly with the culture and norms of the city – in fact, in later life he would cite
Sarajevo as his place of origin although he was born elsewhere.
Alija’s childhood era was one of defeat and grim fortune for the Islamic world, he was born within 2 years of
the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate which resulted in the separation and weakening of the Muslim world,
this physical defeat was further aggravated by the intellectual, cultural and ideological invasions of colonial
entities that subsequently ravaged and ooded the Muslim world with socialism, atheism and secularism.
SARAJEVO MY LOVE
In Sarajevo, the young Alija completed his preliminary education and went on to enroll into the gymnasium.
He was particularly aectionate towards his mother and expressed his great love towards her, while he
expressed his respect and esteem for his father.
32
GLOWING SUNRAYS
Alija Izetbegović grew up in the midst of a societal transformation. As a Muslim living under the new order
of rule, now directly inuenced by the Judeo-Christian Europe – Alija discovered the great literary classics of
the Western tradition. At the age of eighteen he was reading conventional texts such as Immanuel Kant’s
“Critique of pure Reason”, he studied Oswald Spengler’s “Decline of the West” and even explored Henri
Bergson’s subversive narrative in his novel book “Creative Evolution”.
While none of the classics were easily digested by the young Alija Izetbegović, he built up enough of an
appetite and curiosity in philosophy to begin his higher education in that eld of study. However later on he
changed his course and directed his attention towards the study of Agronomy, but eventually he opted to read
Law, a subject that he graduated in within 2 years instead of the standard 4 years normally required. He soon
landed a job as a legal advisor within a construction company.
THE YOUNG MUSLIMS
Alija Izetbegovic’s family background was a religious one despite having grown up in a predominantly
communist era. Aged around twenty years old, Alija Izetbegovic was due to join the military and participate
in the world war however he escaped the dra.
But during the nal phase of world war one, the young and attentive Alija began to explore the ideas of a
group of men who were raised in the city, they came to be known as the “Young Muslims”. eir party
manifesto was anti-Fascist and anti-Communist. It was from his early interaction and involvement with this
group that Alija Izetbegovic formed his initial political views.
However, Alija Izetbegovic’s involvement with the Young Muslims and his commitment to the cause soon
caught the attentive eye of the ruling authorities and within a year he was arrested and jailed by the
Communist party. He was only twenty one years of age when he received this sentence and he spent the next
three years in prison between 1946 to 1949.
Altogether, the Young Muslims were sentenced to a total prison term of over a thousand years, while
seventeen of its members were executed with capital punishment.
33
THE CLOUDS GATHER IN THE HORIZON
His life in jail was hard and laborious, he spent his time performing exhaustive manual labor such as
chopping wood, but when his sentence expired and he was granted his freedom once more, Alija Izetbegovic
re-emerged into a society that had fallen into total disarray.
e country’s economic prospects were abysmal and many of its citizens were out of work, poverty levels
were crippling the nation and starvation became rampant in the less auent regions. Yet quite predictably,
members of the elite and higher social ranks maintained the privileged status and felt little if any of the
repercussions within Bosnia. ey enjoyed many luxuries and had access to a wide range of commodities
and services.
POLITICAL THOUGHT AND PUBLICATION
Alija Izetbegovic, like many of his dispirited countrymen - had been failed by the Socialist ideology - the
privileged few still thrived and oppression of the masses was still alive and kicking.
e two opposing factions of capitalism and communism were both rooted in an ungodly materialism that
alienated and repelled young Muslim thinkers like Alija Izetbegovic. In the months and years that followed
his release from prison, Alija Izetbegovic began to delve into Islamic legal theory and studied the Shariah
in search of a more equitable and just form of government for his fellow compatriots - he was looking for a
system that would safeguard the rights of the common citizen while protecting the property of the privileged
few, it had to be an equitable and reliable form of government that prioritized justice and truth far above the
interests and preferential treatment of the ruling elite.
By the year 1970, Alija Izetbegovic had formulated his
revised political manifesto and published his thoughts in a
book entitled “e Islamic Declaration”. In this impassioned
and profound political manuscript, the author submits his
view that it is only Islam and its systematic code of law that
can govern over and recharge the collective heart and soul
of the defeated Muslim masses, he stressed the point that it
is only Islam as a ruling system that can motivate and
animate the Muslim nation into reclaiming her rightful
place in the high ranks of leadership and in the corridors
of power.
In time, Alija Izetbegovic would launch an intellectual and
academic campaign to win the hearts and minds of the
general masses. He advocated the need for more educational
opportunities for women and minorities in society.
His thoughts and theories eventually culminated in the publication of his Magnum opus, the book that
earned him respect and consideration among the political and intellectual circles of the day “Islam between
East and West” was to become the book in which Alija Izetbegovic would posit his political thought and
advance his solution for the Muslim population native to Yugoslavia, the book was published in the year
1984. e book identies a new medium and a new political plateau upon which the Muslim ideologue
sought to operate from, he contended that Islam is neither of the East nor of the West but of the middle.
According to Alija Izetbegovic, Islamic thought and identity occupied a central and balanced medium, not only
were the Muslims of Yugoslavia geographically situated in a meeting point between Europe and the East, but the
ideology and methodology of Islam was in itself a balanced and middle path, it was neither a right wing agenda
nor was it le wing policy - it was a middle and balanced way of life and a just system of
governance, the very antithesis to the extremism and totalitarian rule of Capitalism, Fascism and
Communism.
34
PREDICTING THE WEATHER
Around the same time as his book was published, Alija Izetbegovic had earned himself a reputation and was
a highly placed political gure in society. His success and appeal within the Muslim intelligentsia and within
the wider political realm brought him some undesirable attention from opponents and members of the ruling
classes.
It was in March 1983 that Alija Izetbegovic received a second term in jail, this time he was sentenced to f
ourteen long years, however his fame and reputation fueled large protests around the world as admirers and
supported objected to the unfair and arbitrary maltreatment he had received in court and in jail. Caving
into the demands of protesters and demonstrators, the authorities suspended his fourteen year sentence and
released him early, he walked out into freedom once more in the year 1988.
However, like his experience of leaving jail in his early twenties, the country he returned to aer his most
recent term in jail, was sadly falling apart. e next few years brought signicant revolutions and power shis
within the globally political arena.
Most signicant amongst these changes was the sudden dissolution of the Warsaw pact between Socialist
member states, while in Germany - the Berlin wall had been demolished. is was followed by the fact that in
many other European countries the iron grip of Communism had been dismantled. ese changes extended
to Alija Izetbegovic’s native Yugoslavia, which was also split during that period of time.
It was in 1989, under the shade of this most recent wave of change, that Alija Izetbegovic took the
opportunity to form a distinct political alliance in Bosnia, it became known as the Party for Democratic
Action and in the year 1990 – the rst time multi-party politics were allowed in Yugoslavia,
Alija Izetbegovic’s party won a large portion of the votes and he was elected President of Bosnia.
In January 1992, Portuguese diplomat José Cutileiro draed a plan, later known as the Lisbon Agreement,
that would turn Bosnia into a tri-ethnic state that would be home to Bosnians, Serbs and Croats, but less than
two weeks following the proposal, President Alija Izetbegovic withdrew his consent and expressed his
concerns over having a country that was divided into ethnic lines, he preferred a multi-cultural Bosnia.
35
ON THE BRINK OF WAR
Following the tragic and colossal loss of human life that resulted from Europe’s two world wars, the allied
forces were confronted with the barbarity and inhumanity of what the German troops had inicted on the
Jews at their concentration camps.
News of the horric genocide and wholesale murder of a people shook the world and as humanity was
awakened to the brutal savagery that was allowed to unfold in the very heart of Europe and with a unanimous
proclamation and condemnation of the terrible act, world leaders all vowed that such grotesque and colossal
crimes against humanity would never be allowed to happen again – Jews and sympathizers all over the world
vowed “Never again!”.
Yet less than half a century from the tragic events in Germany, another genocide was slowly unfolding within
the European continent, mass killings and rape camps were appearing right in front of the leaders who had
once vowed “Never Again!”.
Bosnia, although European in geographical terms, was nevertheless part of the a dierent order of rule for
almost six centuries. It was once part of the Ottoman Caliphate before being absorbed into the Austrian
administration and nally recognized as a member state of Yugoslavia.
However, with the sudden collapse and dissolution of many socialist and communist states in Europe, the
Bosnian people suered from the conict and war that came as a result of the mounting xenophobic tensions
between Bosnian Muslims on one side and Christian Serbs and Croats on the other. e war was somewhat
predictable, xenophobic resentment and religious hatred reached boiled point beneath the thin layer of
legislation that held things together for a while, but when the raging ames of war were nally ignited, the
entire corpus of Muslim citizens were confronted with a brutal campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, rape
and torture.
Men were separated from their mothers, daughters and wives only to be slaughtered like cattle and the
women were rounded up and transported to make-shi camps where they would be systematically and
repeatedly raped and violated until they died or fell pregnant to their merciless captors – rape was as much a
weapon of war as any bomb or rie.
36
is was a dire and dicult situation for the Muslims in Bosnia - since the Yugoslav army was predominantly
staed by Christian Serbs and Croats and the army was the fourth largest European military of its day.
Desolately, the largely unarmed and untrained Muslim civilian population was virtually helpless and unable
to resist or retaliate against the overwhelming force of the Christian Serbs and Croats who fell upon them like
hungry wolves. Shamefully, the world stood by and observed while this most tragic series of events was being
reported by primetime media outlets almost daily.
Yet despite the meagre resources and the huge obstacles in front of Alija Izetbegovic and his supporters, he
was a courageous leader, a motivator, a strategist and civil administrator. During times of severe oppression
and hardship, his military leadership and diplomatic abilities kept the nation together till the very end.
Sarajevo, the dear and beloved capital city of Bosnia and the place where Alija Izetbegovic proudly called
home was eventually barricaded and kept under siege by the Serbs for an extended period.
e besieged Muslim population was deprived of all electricity and water supply - while the Serb forces were
strategically positioned in neighboring hills and highland from where they constantly launched bombs and
red grenades onto the civilian enclave.
e excessive and murderous Serbian campaign reached its lowest and most appalling point on August the
27th in the year 1995, when the small market of Markale was decimated and totally destroyed by bombs
being red over-hill. is act of uninhibited terrorism gained much publicity and media exposition as an
intolerable assault on innocent life that provoked worldwide outrage and forced the leading nations to
intervene and take some action.
Within just a few days, the Serbian ghters were targeted by air strikes and their grip on Sarajevo was over.
37
BEHIND THE THUNDER
ough the war was eventually discontinued and some of the key perpetrators of the mass killings and
systematic rape were apprehended and brought to justice, the stains of war are still visible in modern Bosnia.
ough many would perceive President Alija Izetbegovic’s war as one against the Serbs and Croats, the true
analysis of the entire tragedy in Bosnia will reveal that a great portion of his struggle for justice was sabotaged
by Western nations and so called helpers.
e Dayton peace accord was a peace treaty that was being used to broker a ceasere between the two sides
but in actuality it was a means by which the Bosnian people would be paralyzed and incapacitated, many of
the terms in the treaty were unfavorable and caused further disadvantage to the Bosnians.
President Izetbegovic described the treaty as a blackmail and an attempt to twist his arm, the terms subjected
his people to the acceptance of Serbian oppression while the Serbs were constantly breaking the agreed terms
yet they were not censured for their treachery.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the case of Srebrenica, today this name has become a marker than
will never be eaced from the blood stained face of humanity. In 1993, the UN declared Srebrenica to be a
safe area wherein no ghting was to be tolerated, civilians were guaranteed safety and security from Serbian
aggression, so long as they remained within the vicinity of Srebrenica.
Yet despite the peace treaty that was agreed between both parties, the area was still under siege by the Serb
forces who continued to rain bombs and mortar on the civilians seeking shelter in the safe zone, this
continued despite the UN warnings issued to the Serbian commanders.is contravention of the agreed
peace treaty continued until early July when a dreadful attack took place while UN troops stationed at Sre-
brenica simply turned a blind eye to the tragedy.
Within days of this attack, a further seven thousand innocents were butchered and the UN did nothing
to prevent or repel the relentless Serbian attacks. It has been reported from reliable sources that veried
intelligence was available to the UN headquarters through the use of satellite images, so they were fully aware
of the preparations and of the subsequent strikes coming from the Serbian camp, yet no actions were taken.
In fact, so apathetic were the peace keeping forces to the whole tragedy, that when the Dutch military -
who were responsible for safeguarding Srebrenica – were confronted by the Serbian forces, they readily
surrendered and allowed the genocide to continue.
38
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE
Sadly, faced with an unsurmountable military opponent and overwhelmingly adverse terms for a so called
peace treaty, President Alija Izetbegovic drew close to the negotiating table and agreed to sign the peace
treaty, despite the huge injustice that was being committed to the Bosnian people.
Upon returning to his people he told them that although the terms of the peace treaty were not at all just, it
was better than the continual state of warfare. Ultimately, the Bosnian people retained their homeland with
Bosnia-Herzegovina surviving the war and maintaining its capital Sarajevo, however this came at a
tremendous cost to the country as it was totally land locked and had little access to the ports.
e war may have been terminated but the horrors continue to haunt the Bosnian psyche. ough President
Alija Izetbegovic demonstrated exceptional courage and resilience in the face of a wholly corrupt and
heartless oppressor, Justice for the Bosnian people is still incomplete, many of the Serbs who were charged
with major war crimes - have gone unpunished, including Milosevic - who died while still under trial. Many
more continue to nd safe havens with sympathetic allies and anti-Islamic regimes. ough the ames of war
were nally extinguished, it may take many generations before the people of Bosnia can reclaim the justice
that they have so unashamedly been stripped of.
GLORIOUS SUNSET
President Alija Izetbegovic’s decision to accept a lesser form of tyranny and injustice may be seen by many
critics as a demonstration of weakness if not even cowardice, but the opinions of sheep do not deprive a lion
of his sleep.
Alija Izetbegovic stood rm in the face of an almost unimaginable opponent that was made stronger with the
complicity and cowardice of the international community who watched as the atrocities against the Bosnian
people unfolded before their very eyes.
Like the treaty of Hudaybiyah between the Prophet Muhammad (SalallAhu ‘aleihi wa Sallam) and the
oppressive Quraishi leadership. Many would view the terms as being one sided and unfavorable for the
Muslims yet they fail to see the Wisdom and favor of God in that he granted the Muslims leaders that were
prepared to sacrice their political lives in order for their people to live – Peace has always been the objective
of any great leader, even if it comes in the form of a temporary defeat.
What Alija Izetbegovic reminded the Muslim world and the world at large is that true conquest lies in one’s
ability to preserve lives, not in the contest to see who can take as many lives as possible – and that true
leadership and real strength is in one’s ability to broker peace and break the cycle of violence, even in times
of severe adversity.
On March the 3rd in the year 1992, aer the breakup of Yugoslavia into many component parts of the
federation, Bosnia declared independence, along with other parts of the federation and was recognized as
such by both the EU and the UN.
President Alija Izetbegovic lived to see a free Bosnia, an independent people and a new hope for peace and
justice. Aer a life long struggle to defend and protect the rights of his people and the sanctity of their faith and
religion, Alija Izetbegovic died on October 19th in the year 2003, he was aged 78.
39
BIBLIOGRAPHY, REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Qari ‘Abdul-Basit ‘Abdus-Samad
e Art of Reciting the Qur’an Paperback – 31 Oct 2001, e American University in Cairo Press; New Ed
edition (31 Oct. 2001), ISBN-10: 9774245946
Wikipedia Entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Basit_%27Abd_us-Samad
El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz
Autobiography of Malcolm X Paperback – 28 Jun 2007, Publisher: Penguin (28 Jun. 2007), ISBN-10:
0141032723
Ocial Website http://malcolmx.com/
Wikipedia Entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X
Faisal ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Saud
King Faisal of Saudi Arabia: Personality, Faith and Times Paperback – 26 Oct 2015, Publisher: Saqi Books;
New edition edition (26 Oct. 2015), ISBN-10: 0863561292
Wikipedia Entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_of_Saudi_Arabia
Ahmed Hoosen Deedat
Ahmed Deedat: e Man and His Mission Hardcover – 1 Oct 2015, Publisher: Islamic Book Trust; 1st edition
(1 Oct. 2015), ISBN-10: 062053897X
Ocial Website www.ahmed-deedat.net/
Wikipedia Entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Deedat
President Alija Izetbegović
Inescapable Questions: Autobiographical Notes Paperback – 28 Oct 2002, Publisher: Islamic Foundation; 2nd
edition (28 Oct. 2002), ISBN-10: 0860373673
Wikipedia Entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alija_Izetbegovi%C4%87
